Battle of Jengland

The Battle of Jengland took place on 22 August 851, between the Frankish army of Charles the Bald and the Breton army of Erispoe .

The Bretons were victorious, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Angers in September 851 which secured Breton independence.

The Conflict

Prelude

In 845, Nominoë, King of the Bretons, had defeated Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon . A truce had followed, but in 849 Nominoë resumed his offensive against the Franks.

In 851 Roazhon and the Fortress of Naoned capitulated to the Breton army. Nominoë ravaged Le Mans, then decided to advance to Chartres, but died suddenly, near Vendôme. His successor, his son Erispoe, took command of the Breton force and continued its offensive.

Faced with the threat, Charles sought the support of his brother Ludwig , obtaining a contingent of Saxons to increase the size of his force. He marched to confront Erispoe, who retreated back to the borders of Brittany.

Deployment

In August 851, Charles left Maine to enter Brittany by the Roman road from Naoned to Coresul. The king arranged his troops in two lines: at the rear were the Franks; in front were Saxon mercenaries whose role was to break the assault of the Breton cavalry, which was known for its mobility and tenacity.

Battlefield

The Bretons were outnumbered almost four to one, however in the initial engagement, a javelin assault forced Saxons to retreat behind the more heavily armoured Frankish line.

The Franks were taken by surprise. Rather than engage in a melée, the Bretons harassed the heavily armed Franks from a distance, in a manner comparable to Parthian tactics, but with javelins rather than archers.

They alternated furious charges, feints and sudden withdrawals, drawing out the Franks and encircling over-extended groups.

The Engagement

After two days of this sort of fighting, Frankish losses in men and horses were mounting to catastrophic levels, while the Bretons suffered few casualties.

With his force disintegrating, Charles withdrew from the field during the night. When his disappearance was noticed the following morning, panic seized the Frankish soldiers.

The Bretons quickly raided the camp, taking booty and weapons and inflicting great carnage.

Outcome

Charles the Bald agreed to meet Erispoe in Angers, on the outskirts of the now-extended territory of the Bretons.

In September 851 Erispoe submitted to Charles as Emperor, while receiving the title of king in return.

Holy Conwoïon administers last rights to the fallen

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

22 August 851

Ending Date

24 August 851

Conflict Result

Frankish army routed and butchered